.60 Missouri State Horticultural Society. 



wine. With the grape harvest came heavy rains, doing a good deal 

 of damage to those vineyards where the vines had been trained too 

 low, and the fruit rested in masses on the ground. It also seriously 

 interfered with raisin making, and many of the raisin manu- 

 facturers were compelled to sell to the wine makers. It made the 

 picking of the grapes a much slower process than usual, as the 

 mouldy berries had to be picked out. We suffered no loss, except 

 in the longer time consumed ; and the young wines, though not so 

 heavy as last year, have had a splendid fermentation, are already 

 fit for the wine dealer, and are very pleasant and agreeable. Our 

 crop was 37,000 gallons from about 50 acres, against :^0,000- last 

 year ; besides, we had about eight acres less in bearing, this year, 

 which were destroyed by Phylloxera. The causes of the double 

 crop I think, are reasonable pruning and training, thorough, con- 

 tinuous cultivating, and the free use of fertilizers. So you see I 

 have every reason to be satisfied with my first season's experience, 

 especially as last year's croj) of wine, made by me, sold at the 

 highest price obtained by anyone, a few months after it was made. 

 Prices for grapes for wine purposes were rather higher than 

 last year, being $25 per ton for Mission, S32 to 135 for Tinfandel, 

 Reissling, Chasselas, and other fine varieties. Several entire cellar 

 lots, one of 225,000 gallons, have already been sold at about the same 

 prices as last year. 



The entire production of Napa county is 2,643,800 gallons, 

 against 2,016,000 gallons last year. And every gallon of sound 

 wine finds a ready buyer, within six months of the time it is made, 

 at an average jDrice to the dealer of 25 to 30 cents. 



We have had tlie loveliest weather for the last two weeks I ever 

 saw, but have a hard battle to fight with the weeds, which have 

 been started into luxuriant growth by the unusually abundant and 

 early rains. We are very busy plowing and pruning vineyards, at 

 least two months ahead of the usual time. Our hills are covered 

 Avith green, and will soon be one vast flower garden, the loveliness 

 of which must be seen to be appreciated and believed, for it 

 beggars all description. 



I send you, at the request of your secretary, a few samples of 

 last year's wine, Tinfandel and German Muscatel, also a few speci- 

 mens of ap]3les, not because they are extra fine, but because they 

 were taken from the orchard to-day, hanging on the trees, and are 

 fair specimens of over a hundred bushels, yet out in the orchard* 

 An establishment to make cider and vinegar out of all this wasted 

 fruit, would do a splendid business here, as good cider is more 



